With inputs from Sri Krishna, Delhi
New Delhi Parliamentary constituency is comprised of 10 assembly constituencies: Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, Kasturba Nagar, Malviya Nagar, RK Puram, Greater Kailash. While the constituency has seen shifting loyalties between the BJP and INC, the Aam Aadmi Party made inroads in the previous Lok Sabha elections by polling second.
This constituency has a unique history: Since 1992, the party winning this seat has formed the government at the Centre. Of 16 general elections and two by-elections since 1951, the winner here formed the government 13 times. Delhi’s oldest constituency, whose electorate is a mix of power and money elite, middle-class central government employees and a smattering of voters from the lower income group, this seat was once represented by late superstar Rajesh Khanna who defeated L K Advani.
The constituency houses prestigious institutions like Parliament House, Supreme Court, ministries and other central government offices, the official residences of the President, the Prime Minister, all union ministers, top civil, judicial and military officials and the diplomatic enclave. It also has high profile markets like Khan Market, which apparently Sonia Gandhi used to frequent, Defence Colony, South Extension, Connaught Place, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Lajpat Nagar. The constituency, which came into existence in 1951, has always witnessed high-profile contests.
This time around, it presents an interesting fight between BJP’s sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi, 51 and Ajay Maken, 55, a long time Congress loyalist who came third in 2014. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has put up a first time contestant Brijesh Goyal, 43, a businessman, who has foisted on the BJP candidate the slogan “Meenakshi Lekhi, Kabhi Nahi Dekhi.”
A total of 27 candidates are contesting from various political parties and as independents from New Delhi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected 28 applications for the constituency for various reasons.
According to the ECI website, the constituency has a total of 1617470 voters.
[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Delhi-Parliament-Constituency-New-Delhi-Map-V-1.kml” width=”100%” height=”400px” ]
Note – Map for representation purpose | Source – http://datameet.org
2014 Lok Sabha Elections
Incumbent MP: Meenakshi Lekhi
| Name of candidate | Party | Votes secured | Vote share (over total votes polled) |
| Meenakshi Lekhi | BJP | 4,53,350 | 46.73 |
| Ashish Khetan | AAP | 2,90,642 | 29.96 |
| Ajay Maken | INC | 1,82,893 | 18.85 |
| NOTA | — | 5,589 | 0.58 |
Source: ECI
Know your candidates
Meenakshi Lekhi (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Pic: Facebook
The incumbent MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections pipping Ajay Maken of the Congress who had been elected from the New Delhi constituency for two terms. A lawyer by profession, Meenakshi Lekhi has been part of the BJP’s various women empowerment initiatives over the years.
More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.
To know more about her performance in Parliament, click here.
Phone: 9810729643
E-mail:mrs.mlekhi@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLekhiBJP/
Financial details of candidate:
| Year | Assets | Liabilities |
| 2014 | 7,09,36,470 (movable) +27,90,00,000 (immovable) | 32,27,562 |
| 2019 | 8,24,41,686 (movable) +27,90,00,000 (immovable) | 79,38,378 |
Ajay Maken (Indian National Congress)
Pic: Facebook
Veteran leader Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate from New Delhi. He was the winner from the constituency in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections and has served as Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Housing and Urban Development.
More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.
Phone: 9953112026
E- mail: ajay.maken@inc.in
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajaymaken/
Financial details of candidate:
| Year | Assets | Liabilities |
| 2014 | 3,89,97,275 (movable) + 2,21,01,400 (immovable) | 5,00,000 |
| 2019 | 5,91,32,926 (movable) + 18,66,00,000 (immovable) | Nil |
Brijesh Goyal (Aam Aadmi Party)
Pic: Facebook
In his first electoral foray, Brijesh Goyal of the AAP faces a tough fight against veterans of the Congress and BJP. He is the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party trade wing and the National Convenor of the Chamber of Trade and Industry. Full statehood for Delhi remains the main focus of his campaign.
More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.
Phone: 9810872999
E-mail:brijesh.goyal@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrijeshGoyalIndia/
Financial details of candidate:
| Year | Assets | Liabilities |
| 2019 | 45,94,156 (movable) +50,00,000 (immovable) | 32,85,554 |
Source: MyNeta
List of other candidates contesting from New Delhi
| S. No | Name | Party | Symbol | Age | Education | Occupation |
| 1 | Upendra | Anjaan Admi Party | Cup & Saucer | 31 | B.Tech | Consultant |
| 2 | Umesh Chandra Gaur | Republican Party of India | Sewing Machine | 51 | M.A | Journalist |
| 3 | Jitendra Raut | Akhil Bharatiya Manavata Paksha | Kettle | 40 | B.Sc | Politician |
| 4 | Naveen Kumar | Rashtriya Samrasta Party | Laptop | 44 | LLB | Advocate |
| 5 | Nilanjan Bannerjee | Bharat Lok Sewak Party | Electric Pole | 41 | Class XII | Self-employed |
| 6 | Ravinder Sehgal | Pyramid Party of India | Pineapple | 70 | M.A | Insurance Consultant |
| 7 | Raj Karan | Corruption Abolition Party | Stumps | 61 | Class X | Businessman |
| 8 | Raj Gunti | Prism | Triangle | 44 | B.A | Businessman |
| 9 | Rajesh Satiya | Sanatan Sanskriti Raksha Da | Grapes | 36 | M.Com | Web Designer |
| 10 | Lal Ji | Akhand Rashtrawadi Party | Bricks | 49 | B.Com | Self-employed |
| 11 | Virendra Bharat | Rashtriya Rashtrawadi Party | CCTV | 57 | LLB | Advocate |
| 12 | K Sreekrishna | Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party | Bicycle | 49 | LLM | Advocate |
| 13 | Sunil | Aapki Apni Party | Torch | 36 | Class IX | Self-employed |
| 14 | Sunil Kumar | People’s Party of India | Fruit Basket | 47 | LLB | Advocate |
| 15 | Swadesh Kumar Ohri | Atulya Bharat Party | Batsman | 77 | F.Sc | Businessman |
| 16 | Ajay Lal | Independent | Football | 60 | MA | Retired |
| 17 | Aashish Saxena | Independent | Chain | 39 | MA | Consultant |
| 18 | Kripashankar Pandey | Independent | Key | 61 | Intermediate | Farmer |
| 19 | Dilip Kothari | Independent | Mic | 59 | M.Sc | Retired |
| 20 | Priyanka | Independent | Robot | 33 | LLB | Advocate |
| 21 | Ramesh | Independent | Hockey Stick | 58 | LLB | Agriculturist |
| 22 | Sreenivasan Ramamoorthy | Independent | Winnower | 57 | B.Tech | Social Worker |
| 23 | Suresh Kumar | Independent | Hand Cart | 41 | BA | Unemployed |
| 24 | Harkishan Nijawan | Independent | Razor | 56 | Intermediate | Businessman |
Issues of the constituency
While elsewhere, more mundane issues of everyday living dominate, for voters from the large number of affluent residential and government colonies in this constituency, the key issues are very different: pay commission, HRA and Dearness Allowance. But New Delhi is not all VVIPs. It does have a few voters more concerned with local issues, like Rajkumar, a resident of Pilonji village. “Issues of religion and India-Pakistan are not our first priority,” said Raj Kumar. “My family wants jobs, and facilities in our locality”.
Meenakshi Lekhi defended her party’s shift in emphasis from development to nationalism saying the two issues are interlinked. She also took a dig at Ajay Maken, a former urban development minister from 2004 to 2014 saying all of Delhi’s problems are related to urban development. Makan retorted saying he had made 170 amendments to the Delhi Master Plan to resolve the Supreme Court monitored sealing drive to shut down unauthorised shops, which is a cause for worry for the BJP as its main support base is among traders, many of whom have been affected by the SC decision. “We were running our shop for 15 years but the past one year has been about fighting to save our livelihood,” said Sushil Gupta, a Karol Bagh shop owner.